The bust of Greek Army Colonel Mordechai Frizis, one of the 12,898 Greek Jews who fought for Greece’s freedom, will be unveiled in the Jewish Heroes Square in Thessaloniki on June 8.

The initiative to erect the bust, an American Hellenic Congress donation, was undertaken over a year ago by World Council of Hellenes Abroad, SAE, honorary president Andrew Athens in cooperation with the Mordechai Frizis Friends Association in the United States, stated Thessaloniki Jewish Community President David Saltiel stressing that he was among the first Greek Army officers to be killed during WWII’s Greco-Italian War.

Frizis took part in the November 1940 Pindos battle that led to the liberation of Konitsa, in northwestern Greece and was killed on December 5, 1940 northeast of Premet, Albania.  

His remains were buried at the Thessaloniki Jewish Cemetery in 2004 with military honors in the presence of then Hellenic Republic President Costis Stephanopoulos, after being brought to Greece from Albania following an intervention by the Greek General Army Staff. 

Source: Athens News Agency

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